Learning to Swim
by katiekitten
Summary: Diving off the deep end. DeiTobi fluffyness, through and through. Rated T for harsh language near the end. Complete. Two shot.
1. Bliss

**Learning to Swim.**

The sweet, warm smell of freshly baked bread wafted through the halls of the Akatsuki headquarters, rousing the sleep deprived members from their exhausted slumbers and summoning them to the kitchens. A certain blond haired missing nin's nose twitched at the delicious scent that invaded the room, sending urgent alarm signals to the brain to get the body out of bed _now_. Deidara grunted as his brain complied, slowly raising his head as he blinked blearily around his room. The small enclosed space that he shared with his raven haired partner was fixed in a state of complete disarray, clay sculptures and orange masks filling up whatever space that was not covered by clothes. The bed opposite his had long been abandoned, its covers twisted from its occupant's hasty departure. Two blond eyebrows raised as the former Iwagakure ninja connected his partner's absence with the smell that caused the sound of curious feet to echo in the halls. Was Tobi baking again?

With a well practised sigh, he levered himself out of bed, wincing slightly as his bare feet landed on the cold stone floor. Pausing briefly to grab his hair tie, he pulled his blond hair into its customary pony tail as he made his way out of the door. He had hoped that yesterday's cooking experiments by his partner had been just that, experiments; a concept that had piqued Tobi's interest for the day but would soon be discarded like the rest of his farfetched, if not darn right impossible ideas. What he did not expect was that upon the discovery that the Akatsuki ate mostly pre-prepared food and take-away, that Tobi would take it into his little heart that this would_ just not do,_ and become determined to show the fast-food junkies the wonders of home made meals.

It had started with a selection of salads waiting for them in the front hall as they departed on their various missions, each one lovingly prepared by the masked ninja while the others finished their breakfasts. Later it was a small buffet laid out at lunch time on the kitchen counter, with snacks varying from rice balls to chipolatas for those who remained at home base, guarding it against unexpected visitors. The day carried on in very much the same way, small cakes appearing on the Akatsuki's pillows, a fresh pizza already sliced and divided onto different plates, each person's preferences taken into account with the toppings chosen. It downright confused Deidara why the fool tried so hard to cook for everyone, even if he had, he admitted grudgingly, enjoyed the change. Why did it matter what they ate? If it was edible, it was fine by him. He'd asked Tobi that much when they had retreated to their rooms at nightfall, crossing his arms while he waited for a reply. The masked ninja had just looked up, smiling in his odd way that was obvious through his mask. "Because I care." He'd replied simply, before skipping into the bathroom to prepare for bed.

Deidara had stayed up for a while after that, just lying on his bed and thinking over Tobi's response. _Because I care._ Why did he care? Why did it mean a damn thing to him? A small voice whispered in his mind about compassion, feeling for others, but he pushed it aside, sneering at the thought. _We are the Akatsuki. We don't care about anyone else._ Still confused about Tobi's answer, he satisfied himself with the assurance that this was probably only a one day thing, and dropped off to sleep without another thought on the matter.

Except it wasn't.

Deidara's forehead crinkled into a frown as he padded into the kitchen, last nights thoughts rising once more in his mind as he observed his partner, in a pink apron, he might add, bending down before an oven, carefully pulling out a tray filled with freshly baked loaves of bread. Itachi and Kisame were already seated at the table, being the first to adjust to the new situation they waited patiently as Tobi set the bread to cool, Kisame fiddling idly with a loose bandage on his sword. A tired Zetsu slowly made his way through the wall closest the door, his yellow eyes blinking in the sunlight that flooded through the kitchens open curtains. Covering a yawn with the back of a hand Deidara made his way to the table, settling himself on a chair besides Itachi. The Uchiha paid him no heed, his bloodred eyes watching Tobi movements passively as Deidara's partner started to slice the bread. Noticing the slight scrape Deidara's chair made as he sat Tobi glanced his way, lowering the knife as a huge smile once more beamed at his from beyond the mask.

"Deidara Sempai!" He cried, turning to face him fully. "I didn't expect to see you up so early! If you wait just a little longer, I'll have plate of toast prepared. Just need to wait for the grill to warm up." As he finished speaking a timer dinged and he turned immediately back to the cooker, yelping slightly when he saw the smoke that began to rise from one of the many pans he had balanced on the hob. Deidara didn't give him a reply, preferring to simply raise an eyebrow as the wannabe chef picked up a spatula of all things and preceded to use it to scrape underneath whatever was burning on the pan.

"Sorry Kisame-kun! Your eggs are a little crispy on the bottom, but they should still taste good…"

Kisame brushed off the apology with a grunted 'it's fine' as he raised a hand to swipe at his eyes. Deidara tried and failed to hide a smile. Kisame was not a morning person. His eyes snapped back to Tobi as he rushed by in a flash of black and orange, carefully depositing a set of eggs onto Kisame's plate. He was back a second later with another batch and some bacon, which he served to Itachi as Hidan and his partner came through the door. Deidara watched in amusement as Tobi rushed to serve the newcomers and Zetsu, turning into an orange and black blur as he darted through the kitchen, turning this, stirring that. It was only when Kisame stared meaningfully at his plate did Deidara look down to see the pile of steadily cooling toast that had somehow ended up there during the morning chaos. He delicately picked up a piece, carefully examining it as his stomach rumbled slightly in anticipation. It looked delicious, butter melting and slowly soaking into the only slightly crisped bread, exactly how he liked it. It took all he had not to stuff it in his mouth as he wondered how exactly Tobi could have known… Putting it aside to join the ever growing pile of questions he meant to ask his partner later, he dug in, knowing even as he took the first bite that it was going to be good.

He was wrong.

It was better.

The rich taste of butter slightly sweetened with a dash of cinnamon raged across his tongue, catching him off guard. Feeling his eyes go wide in surprise he looked down at his plate and proceeded to shove the rest into his mouth, watching as the others did the same. It wasn't long before his plate was clean and he found himself feeling happily full, hand-mouths smiling in their place on his lap. He let himself sit there for a while as the taste faded from his tongue, knowing full well that he probably had this stupid grin on his face and didn't care one bit. He hadn't tasted something that good in a long time.

"Enjoy it, Deidara Sempai?" Tobi came trotting over to meet him, apron long gone from around his neck as he peeled off the plastic gloves he'd placed over his normal black ones. Knocked out of contented state, Deidara hastened to remove the smile from his face, replacing it with his customary scowl he reserved for Tobi alone.

"It was alright, un." He told the masked nin, pulling himself to his feet and repeating the speech he gave Tobi yesterday. "But I don't see why you are still determined to waste time doing _women's_ work. You are part of the Akatsuki now; we have more important things to do, un." He paused, unsure if his words were having any effect. Damn that mask. "Like researching our next target…?"

"Oh, the fire country bounty?" Tobi's head titled to the side the way it always did when he posed a question. The same, infuriatingly immature way. Deidara frowned slightly, mood darkening, nodding slowly in reply. Tobi seemed to brighten at the movement, although how Deidara knew this he had no clue. "I worked on it this morning! Our target is currently in the wave country, from what our informants tell us." He pointed to a couple of letters lying on the nearby table, their coded letters strewn across the table top. He conveniently missed Deidara's incredulous look. "He's currently staying in a Hotel on the southern island, Hotel Babel I believe." Deidara strode towards where Tobi was pointing and took a look at the letters himself, noting how Tobi had sloppily written over each and every single coded word. Imbecile. What if someone else had found that? Resisting the urge to berate Tobi further on the qualities of cautiousness, he skimmed through the note and decided that although it wasn't the neatest job in the world, it was thorough. After reading them through twice he slipped them in his left palm mouth to be destroyed and turned back to Tobi.

"We'll need to leave in the next two hours if we are to get there sometimes in the next two days, un." He summarised, glancing up at the clock over the door. "You start packing, I'll alert sir leader. Make sure you pack for at least a week, un; you never know what'll happen in Wave Country. Got it?"

He waited as Tobi gave him a brisk salute and dashed away, just stopping himself from throwing something at the steadily retreating back as he headed towards the door. God, the kid was annoying. Akatsuki members are supposed to be calm and collected, not a bumbling idiot like him. Wondering yet again why he had to been paired off with such a person, he went to confirm the trip with sir leader.

Six hours and a couple forests later, Deidara relaxed as much as he could while sitting on a wet bench on a not entirely sturdy boat, adjusting his scope's range until he could see clearly into the horizon. The sight of yet more waves did nothing to improve his mood and he slumped further into his seat, glaring at the mast before him. After flying without a break over the forests surrounding their base, they'd finally made it to closest city, a small port at the edge of River country. It was a quiet place for the most part, filled with soft spoken fishermen and the raucous cries of seagulls. They'd managed to bribe one of the wealthier fishermen to ferry them to the country of the Wave, a difficult feat for Deidara in particular. It had taken all of Tobi's patience, which was considerable, to convince him that no, blowing the smug fishermen to kingdom come was not going to solve their problems, only escalate them. Subtlety was not his strong point. After a single tense moment when the entire town had nearly gone down in flames, an agreement was reached and passage granted. And all he could do now was wait.

He shifted slightly to make himself more comfortable, huddling deeper in his coat and once again thanking the fact that no-one in this town had recognised the legendary insignia of red clouds on black, although to tell the truth, he would've been surprised if anyone did. The coastal town was small and isolated, and rumors about the Akatsuki were unlikely to have travelled this far yet. But that hadn't stopped him feeling as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders when the town had finally sank out of view. Looking around him, he searched for his wayward partner, the orange masked ninja having scampered around the boat like a five year old in a toy store. He found him, unsurprisingly, at the Stern of the ship, watching the ripples in the water caused by the ships passing. As if sensing his gaze, Tobi turned, fishing something out of his jacket before bounding towards him and placing it on his lap. Raising his eyebrows, Deidara looked down at the lump that looked suspiciously like a carefully wrapped, if not slightly squashed sandwich and back up at the obviously eager boy before him.

"What's this?" He asked, cautiously prodding it.

"Lunch." Tobi replied, obviously taking his reply as a good sign as he plonked himself on the bench besides him and pulled out another package for himself. Deidara watched with amusement as he cheerfully unwrapped it and took a deep bite out of the sandwich, sending a wave of crumbs tumbling down his chin. Mentally shaking his head at his antics, not noticing his bad mood had lifted at Tobi's appearance, he opened his own and began to eat. They sat in silence for a while, the only sounds the soft lap of the waves on the edges on the boat and the sound of two sandwiches disappearing into hungry mouths. Scrunching up the wrapper Deidara shoved it into one of the cloaks many pockets, telling himself to remember that it was in there later so he could throw it away as he gazed at the horizon, sighing when he saw that there was no land in sight. They still had quite a ways to go when they finally did land, having to find the right island and ultimately the right hotel. Only once they located their target could they start to figure out a plan, there was no point in doing it before seeing the surrounding area. In the meanwhile…

He glanced over at Tobi again. Overly cheerful, maturity of a five year old Tobi with the heart of gold. Was that the only reason he strove so hard? Could there be another, more plausible cause? The pyromaniac leaned heavily towards the final conclusion, not seeing how someone could care so full heartedly for a group of people he barely knew, especially as most of said group despised him. The boy sat on the edge of the bench, watching through his garish mask the movements of those around him. The sun, that was only just reaching the two thirds mark of its trip across the sky, bounced its rays boredly off the orange monstrosity, making it flare a brighter, more painful color than it already was. He scowled at it briefly before turning back to the front, the crinkle of paper in his jacket reminding him of the lunch he had just consumed. He was hardly surprised by now how much he'd enjoyed it, after being exposed to Tobi's cooking over the last two days he'd found that he actually quite liked it. He himself was actually a pathetic cook, the reason most commonly being that he got bored of waiting and decided to 'speed up' the situation by throwing a clay bird into the mix. After blowing up the kitchen for the third time in one week, sir leader had _forbid_ him from touching an apron again, as well as forcing him to eat the charred remains of his meal. Maybe he could get Tobi to teach him sometime. Yeah. That'd be good.

He shifted again, utterly bored. The sky was clear, depressingly devoid of any clouds to lift his mood. Catching himself about to whistle in the vain attempt of having at least _something_ to do, he searched his mind for something to distract him. His eyes fell on Tobi again. There's no time like the present, right? He could ask him about cooking lessons now, maybe he could talk him through a recipe or two. Ignoring the insistant voice that informed him in no uncertain terms that he was going to suffer in hell for this, he geared up his courage and blurted it out.

"Tobi, un?"

Tobi looked up, surprise emanating from him before a smile returned to his face once more. "Yes, Deidara Sempai?"

Deidara paused, fidgeting with the hem of his cloak as he figured out the best way to word his question. "…Tobi, un, you know how you like to cook?" As soon as the words were out he realised how stupid he sounded and swore under his breath. But it was too late, the words were out there, and all he could do was wait for a response.

"Yes, Deidara Sempai?" Tobi just waited patiently, face turned to his expectantly. Deidara cursed again, wondering why he'd even asked in the first place. But as he was this far…

"I was wondering, un, if you could, you know, teach me how to make something?"

Silence reigned for a moment. Deidara scowled at the horizon, unconsciously watching Tobi from the corner of his eye. Well, answer already, dimwit.

"Sure!" Deidara looked up at him, relief clear on his features. Tobi was smiling back; he swore that if he could see the boys face, the grin would nearly split it in half. "I'd love to! Cooking is really easy once you get started, kinda like learning how to swim as it's something you don't forget in a hurry once you know-"

"Learning how to swim?" Deidara repeated incredulously, earlier uneasiness forgotten. Tobi brushed off the comment easily.

"Or riding a bike, it's the same sort of concept. Oh Deidara Sempai, we're going to have so much fun! We can make waffles, and roast dinner, maybe even a soufflé… We'll start you off easy, of course, making cupcakes and the like…"

Tobi rattled on about the wonders of baking for the next half hour. Deidara nodded at random intervals, only half listening as the boat steadily made its way towards their destination. At times like this, it was better to just let him talk.

"Deidara Sempai?"

Deidara groaned, rolling over in a feeble attempt to get away from the piercing sound of his partners voice. Let me sleep a couple more minutes, he pleaded mentally, keeping his eyes squeezed shut. It's not like-

THUD

Deidara's eyes sprang open as he crashed to the floor, struggling to his feet and blinking as he realised that no, he wasn't in his bedroom as he expected, and yes, he had in fact just rolled off the bench. Tobi hovered in front of him, wringing his gloved hands as he worriedly checked to see if he was hurt. The ground lurched beneath his feet, forcing him to take a couple steps forward to maintain his balance. Tobi, who'd expected the movement and had managed to keep his footing, wandered after him, shoulders slightly hunched.

"You were sleeping," Tobi began breathlessly, "and I didn't want to wake you, but I had to because I had to tell you that we were nearly there and I didn't-"

"Wait a second, un." He held out his arm in an attempt to get his partner to stem the never-ending stream of words pouring out of his mouth. "We're nearly there?"

Tobi, who shut up at the movement and was currently regarding the outstretched appendage with caution, nodded. Deidara turned on his heel and went to the side of the boat, spirits rising when he saw the tell tale smudge of green on the horizon. Thoughts of telling Tobi exactly _why_ he had been sleeping and the time honoured quote: "When someone starts yawning, stop talking about yourself" fell away as he grinned at the sight, running a hand through his rumpled hair automatically. He grimaced slightly at the feel of dried on salt caking the strands, a gift left from an unexpected water dip the night before. There was a reason he hated the ocean, and it wasn't only because it could dampen the power of an explosion. Thank whatever god there was for the simple blessing of him having a strong stomach. Happy just to stand there and watch as the land got steadily close, he almost didn't notice the slight movement out of the corner of his eye that let him know the Tobi had stepped up to join him. Almost.

"Deidara-Sempai?"

"Mm?" He didn't look up, content at watching the waves roll around him.

"What does it mean to love?"

Deidara looked up, startled. Whatever he had been expecting, it most certainly had not been that. But there was Tobi, head titled to the side again, waiting patiently for an answer. Sighing in annoyance, Deidara looked to sea again, face furrowed in a slight scowl. What did it mean to love. What an odd question! Why Tobi was thinking about such a thing here, he had no clue. But as odd as it was, he had to admit it was a good question. Love? What was it, exactly? He knew lust, describing that was easy. It spanned from desire, the desire of another's touch, kiss, flesh. But love… That was a different. Made up slightly of lust, but more of other emotions. Friendship. Compassion. An emotion that didn't come easily to Deidara in his best days. He moved forward to lean against the boat rail, scowl fading into a thoughtful expression. He'd seen examples of it at many different points during his career, that time when a woman threw herself in front of her children in an attempt to shield them away from what she considered a threat, giving her life to protect theirs. A foolish thing, which all too often got you into worse trouble than you would have been if you'd just left things well alone. To care so much for one person that you were willing to give your life to protect them, and to do it for no other purpose than love, not for money, not for power. To stand by them no matter what befalls either of you, to love someone so much that you'd tear themselves a part just to see them smile. In essence? To love is…

"To care for someone so much that you will do everything in your power, even if it means to give up your life, to keep them safe and ultimately happy, un." He murmured, not taking his eye of the horizon.

"I see." Tobi's footsteps back towards the deck faded into the background, leaving Deidara alone.


	2. Cupcakes

Deidara's expression, which had started out as vaguely interested when he first watched Tobi mix the various ingredients together, was steadily turning into a scowl as he fished yet another tray of burnt cakes out of the oven, nose wrinkling in distaste as he stared at the charred remains of his baking. It was his third attempt at making the blasted things, and, like his other tries, he had somehow managed to burn them to a crisp. Tobi, who had stayed loyally by his side throughout the entire process, got a knife and helped him scrape the tray into the same bin the others went into, assuring him the entire time that it was rare that anybody got it perfect on their first tries, and that he was positive, no, absolutely _certain_ that these cakes were less burnt then the others and that he was, despite what all the evidence pointed at, improving.

They were in a small, comfortable but cheap hotel at the edge of the port town, waiting for the night to pass so they could continue their journey once more. A light thunderstorm had blown itself up just as they had pulled into the bay, and with nothing else to do, Deidara had grudgingly allowed Tobi to take him through the steps of baking one of the supposedly easiest recipes that ever existed. Now, a full hour and a half later and stripped of his shirt to help cool him down, he glared down at the blackened remains of his experiments, wondering why on earth he was so incapable of making the smallest of things edible. It didn't help how Tobi insisted on continuously trying to cheer him up, his words only seeming to hammer Deidara's failure further into his skull.

_Just shut up, Tobi._ He grumbled wearily, a vein throbbing in his temple as he barely restrained himself from cussing the boy into oblivion. The masked nin, oblivious of the glares he was receiving, bumbled around the room, preparing the next set of ingredients for a new batch. He couldn't help but feel slightly jealous at the practised ease with which Tobi mixed the eggs into the slowly smoothing out batter, his movements carefree and relaxed as he tossed the empty shells into the bin.

"Bulls eye." He heard him mutter, looking up briefly from his work before bowing his head once more. Resisting the urge to send a small clay bird into the bin after yet another whizzed by, Deidara sighed heavily, abandoning his cooking and heading back to his bed. He was done cooking, he decided, snuggling under his covers and reaching up to remove his scope. His work was with clay, not food. Let Tobi fiddle around with his different scales and measurements, Deidara's cooking career was_ over._ The bed that Tobi was to sleep in stood at the other side of the room, left untouched as Deidara's partner spooned cupcake mixture into the collapsible cake tins he had thoughtfully brought with him. He patted his creations lovingly with the back of a spoon one final time before sliding them into the oven. Carefully setting the timer attached to the cooker, which had been supplied by the hotel for another dollar or two, (He already had their argument sorted out: Tobi saved money by home cooking meals, takeouts were much more expensive) Tobi straightened with a happy sigh, glancing over at Deidara's bed while he waited for his cakes to finish cooking.

"We'll try making pancakes tomorrow for breakfast," he started excitedly, obviously missing the look of dread that froze his partner's tired expression in place. "We have just enough eggs to make two large batches, which should be more than enough for a good breakfast. We can save some of them for lunch if we don't finish them. They're ideal! Quick and easy to make, delicious…"

If Tobi heard the derisive snort that rose from his partner's bed as Deidara turned his back to him, he decided to ignore it. Leaping up when he heard the pleasant 'ding!' of the timer, he retrieved his cakes from the oven and covered them with a slightly damp towel to cool. Smiling at the blanket covered lump that was his partner, who had fallen asleep without bothering to get dressed again, he changed into his bedclothes and removed his mask, placing it delicately in easy reach. A single hazel eye flashed briefly before the lamp was switched off and a contented, if not slightly sweet smelling darkness settled around the room once more.

If there was one thing Deidara was certain of, it was that he would never let Tobi cajole him into cooking again. Conveniently forgetting that it was he who asked for lessons in the first place, he waited until Tobi was safely locked in the bathroom taking a shower before he slipped out of bed, single visible eye fixed on the small fridge. He had woken this morning to Tobi's contented humming, the masked ninja already up and awake and wandering around the room, muttering something about pancakes. Tobi always seemed to wake up before him, no matter how hard his partner would try to catch him out. It was as if he slept with one eye cracked open, always alert for any sign of movement from his room mate. Satisfied that Tobi would not suddenly open the door to the bathroom and ruin the 'surprise' that the former rock ninja was preparing for him, Deidara crept forward and opened the fridge door. A couple seconds later he retreated, deed done, to watch the rest of the act unfold from the warmth of his bed. Try as he might, he couldn't remove the triumphant smirk that tweaked up his lips as he waited for his victim to emerge from the bathroom.

A couple minutes and one cooking-happy ninja later, and…

Boof!

The sound of a miniature explosion rumbled through the floor boards, shortly followed by the agonised cry of: "No! The eggs!"

Deidara snickered from his blanket haven, satisfied with the results. There's nothing like slipping exploding clay eggs in with the real ones to lift a fellow's spirits.

The rest of the day was spent almost exactly the same way as the last one was: Tobi rushing to the shops to buy more eggs for breakfast, although Deidara was excused of having to help him cook, much to the pyromaniac's delight; flying high above the rocky countryside and calm beaches of the country of the wave and slowly but steadily making their way towards the southern island, where their quarry lay relaxing in the dull summers heat. As the day wore on the temperature just seemed to rise, soon forcing them to shed their coats under the threat of suffering from heath stroke. It was under these conditions that the duo found themselves now, skimming just over the tops of the trees in an effort to keep as far away from the sun as possible. Deidara lounged contentedly on the birds back, watching the ground below fly by while idly checking that they were still on course. From his vantage point he could see directly ahead but no farther, a situation that might've worried him if he hadn't been lulled half asleep by the beat of the bird's wings and the warmth of the day. Tobi sat patiently behind him, feet resting on the birds tail as it swayed gently in the wind, its movements seeming to mesmerise him.

Spotting the steady approach of fields to the south, Deidara checked their position on the map, grinning when he realised they were almost there. Squinting at the sun, he reckoned that by the time the sun set, they'd be happily tucked away in a hotel in the suburbs, gradually associating themselves with the surrounding landscape. His grin grew wider. He may not particularly enjoy the next part of the mission, the exploring new places, memorising his targets daily routines until he knew it like the back of his hand, but at least it meant that he was one step closer to the fun part.

The execution of the attack.

It always gave him a sort of sick thrill seeing his art in full splendour, painting the sky with crimson drops and golden stars that would sink towards the earth in a glorious display, a single expression of pure freedom that would etch itself into the memories of both earth and animal alike. Already his palms itched in anticipation, the handmouths located there licking their lips expectantly. It took everything he had to stop himself from leaping up then and there and unleashing his power on the world below. He wanted, no, _needed_ some sort of release, something to relieve the tension that had been building up on his shoulders over the last couple of days. Unknowingly his breathing quickened, eyes widening slightly as he imagined the beauty his creations would make. Just a few spiders, maybe a dove or two, and he'd be perfectly happy, read to continue the mission with no more inter-

"Deidara Sempai, are you alright?" Tobi's worried voice cut through his fevered excitement, giving Deidara time to slow his breathing and rub his hands on his cloak, before glancing nonchalantly over his shoulder. Tobi had shuffled closer in the time he'd been distracted, and he could see the dark shadow of an eye peering at him anxiously through the eye hole of the orange mask.

"Of course I am, un." He assured him, careful to keep his voice lofty and carefree. "Should I not be?"

"Oh no, no, everything's fine." Tobi hadn't missed the slight threatening undertone of the last question. "You just looked a bit flustered that's all." He looked down at his jacket and started fishing through the pockets, searching for something or the other. Finding whatever it was, he retrieved it with a victorious 'ah ha!' and handed it over to his partner. Deidara's eyebrows, which had been raised in an interested manner, lowered with a snap. It was a bunch of Tobi's cupcakes, the ones he'd made yesterday, although he'd apparently found the time, from where the artist had no clue, to decorate them with this disconcertingly pink icing. Two of them even had green writing on them, with the words 'Bee' on one, and on the other 'Hapy!' Hiding a smile at the masked nin's horrible spelling, he eyed them with a slight frown, yesterdays embarrassing failures rising to mind once more. But it was hard to keep frowning at something that had 'bee hapy' written on it in such an encouraging way. Satisfying himself instead with a pained sigh, he looked back at Tobi, who was digging into a set he'd brought for himself.

The boy was levering the bottom of the mask up with one hand, and, keeping his face bent down, slipping cakes inside with the other. Enthusiastic chewing sounds assured him that the cakes had reached their target. Annoyance bubbled up at the sight, and Deidara had to resist the urge to sigh again. Keeping the mask on at all times was just ridiculous. It must've been hard to eat that way, but still Tobi insisted on doing it, day in, day out. Deidara just couldn't see what could be so horrible about his face for him to feel the need to wear a mask. It wasn't as if Deidara was going to hate him more than he already did based solely on his looks, and he told Tobi that many times with those exact words. But Tobi would always just shake his head in reply, saying he didn't think he would but he preferred wearing it. The explosion loving nin had raised an eyebrow at this. The mask had only one hole in it, barely large enough for an eye to see clearly out of it, which not only hampered his sight, but ensured that it would be incredibly hot and sticky behind the mask, with Tobi's breath condensing directly on the plastic. It would've driven Deidara mad in days if he'd decided to do such a thing, and he knew how uncomfortable it must've been, but nevertheless, there Tobi was.

Growling at himself and looking pointedly away, he searched his mind for a new topic before he felt tempted to start another argument. Calm silence reigned for a couple of minutes, Deidara could feel himself relaxing as he gazed at the landscape surrounding him. With the sky so clear he could see far into the distance, could see the forest below them march into the horizon uninterrupted, a place where mother nature reigned freely without the disturbances of ma-

"What makes you happy, Deidara Sempai?"

Startled, Deidara looked back, where Tobi sat with his legs crossed comfortably, patiently waiting for a reply with his head cocked in that same, annoying way.

"Why do you want to know, un?" He replied warily, recognising this as a similarly random question like the one yesterday. He'd asked Tobi about it earlier, but the masked nin had just shrugged in reply.

"No reason, I was just interested."

Deidara sighed. What was it with this boy and odd questions? Deciding that he'd rather not know, he looked towards the horizon again, thinking a second before answering.

"Loads of things, un. My art. A comfortable bed to sleep in at night. A good meal." He could've sworn he felt the boy smile at that. "A good movie. Whatever, really."

Silence returned once more. He welcomed it, thinking back to the mission brief they'd received. It was a simple mission, assassinate the designated target within a week and get the hell back. Dart in, dart out, collect the bounty. Nothing too hard. The target was an exiled ninja of the hidden mist, roughly a chuunin in capability, and tended to favour water moves. He left the village a year ago after trying and failing to kill his jounin leader. He remembered snorting at that, thinking back to what he'd done before leaving. How pathetic, not even being able to kill a single person. He returned to his original thoughts, compiling everything he knew of country of the wave and including it in his calculations. If he'd been paying more attention to his surroundings, he may have caught how the woods fell oddly silent, the normal catcalls of the birds suddenly cut off. He most certainly would have noticed the large gathering of different chakra signals ahead before the first volley of arrows peppered the sky.

An odd whistle catching his attention, Deidara looked up and cursed, launching himself to his feet. A dark wave of arrows had broken through the tree cover and were making their way steadily towards them, glinting slightly in the midday sun.

"Hold on, un." He called back grimly, not looking to see if his partner had heard him. Chakra flooded through his outstretched hands and urged the bird upwards, causing the arrows to pass harmlessly beneath them, falling to the woods below. Grabbing onto the birds shoulder, he levelled out their flight, eyes scouring the woods below. What he spotted made him curse again. A large gathering of haggard warriors watched them from the trees below, many of them following them with an arrow as they waited for the call to fire. In their center stood a thick built man dressed in ark clothing, a head protector glinting on his forehead. He watched their progress with an unconcealed smirk, triumph clear as he gave the call to fire again.

"They knew we were coming, un." Deidara muttered, ducking low as the bird dived and twisted on his command, easily dodging the new wave of arrows. "Shit."

He cursed again, ducking low onto the birds back. There had to be a hundred of them in total, two hundred, all battle experienced men who had no fear of the enemy. In the air they a chance, but on the ground… Pushing that thought away he sped up the birds flight, focussing on it entirely. By the time he heard the tell tale rush of water behind him, it was too late. He only had time to glance back before the dragon crested plume of water drove into the birds back, the force of its impact sending it hurtling to the ground. Deidara cursed as he threw himself free, landing with a crash into a pile of leaves. A similar crash informed him the Tobi had followed him, and they grouped together, kunai out in battle ready positions. Deidara barely had time to draw a breath before the first of the attackers threw himself at him.

The man charged towards him, eyes wild as he stabbed at him with a well used sword. Deidara stepped easily away from the blow and slashed across the back of the attackers neck as he stumbled by, eyes watching for the next opponent. There were three this time, coming from the left, yelling battle cries as more and more mercenaries poured out of the woods with every second that ticked by. He mentally counted the growing numbers, grimacing as he fought off a possibly fatal blow. They were hopelessly outnumbered, an army against two, their only hope lying broken on the ground behind them. He berated himself for not noticing the ambush in the first place as he stabbed a second man in the gut, shoving him away with a foot as he raised his knife to ward off another blow. The fight was getting thick fast; they needed to get out of here and quick. Close contact fighting was not one of his strong points, his attacks pinned on there being a reasonable amount of space between him and the opponent. He ducked under a punch and slid his kunai through a man's rips, thinking all the while. If he could just be left in peace for a couple of seconds, he could sort out the bird. His eyes slid to Tobi, who was efficiently slitting a soldiers throat while using his body as a shield. Tobi noticed his gaze and glanced at him briefly before re-focusing on the fight, confusion clear through the mask

"Tobi, I need you to hold them off for a bit while I fix the bird." He called, gritting his teeth as a knife whizzed by, its razor sharp edge drawing a line of blood along his forehead. He jumped up into the trees and threw a small bird at the attackers below, grinning slightly as the explosion knocked them off their feet to be killed by the flurry of shruiken he threw just after. A muffled "Yes Sempai!" reached him from Tobi as the masked ninja used kage bunshin, briefly stemming the flow of attackers. Deidara wasted no time, darting to where his bird lay, its wing crumpled beneath it. Laying a palm on its wing he sent his chakra through it, focussing on it completely to get the job finished quickly. He was so intent of fixing his bird that he didn't notice when the kage bunshin line broke, didn't hear Tobi's desperate cry of 'Sempai!' as a shadow slipped through. Only when he felt someone standing over him did he look up, surprise clear on his features…

…Which turned to shock as he saw who was standing there with a sword through his chest.

Tobi?

He pushed himself to his feet, shock numbing his senses as he watched his partner slowly sink to the ground, the person who attacked him ruthlessly pulling his sword free. Scarlet blossomed from the uncovered wound and oozed onto his chest, staining the black and red cloth as it coursed to the ground. Deidara looked up briefly as Tobi's murderer came at him, slashing wildly. He merely swiped his legs from under him and stabbed him brutally in the chest, anger bubbling deep inside him.

You… You killed him!

He leapt to his feet and knelt besides the masked Nin's body, grief clouding his eyes. Tobi lay in a pool of his blood, the orange mask that had annoyed Deidara so much lying a few feet away. His face was covered in long healed scars, the reason for the mask now clear for Deidara to see. He clenched his fists in anger, both at Tobi for doing such a stupid, dumbass thing, at himself for letting yet another partner die and at the people who killed Tobi in the first place. He rose slowly to his feet and glared at the approaching soldiers, slipping his hands in his clay bag.

You bastards!

Snarling, he opened his hands, revealing the small birds that lay in his palm. They rose immediately to the air and slammed into the approaching forces, blowing those closest to smithereens. Crouching down once more, he carefully picked up Tobi's body, eyes locked on the boys face. His features were frozen in a look of slight discomfort, his eyelids shut as if he'd expected the blow that felled him. Which he probably did, the fool. His eyes burned as he made his way back to the bird, which stood complete and ready a few feet away. Lying Tobi carefully on its back he jumped on behind him, keeping a hand on him to steady him as they rose into the sky. His mind flicked back to just ten minutes before, when they sat basking in the warmth of the sun with not a care in the world.

_"What makes you happy, Deidara Sempai?"_

He clenched his teeth, sticking his hands into his bag of clay and creating a smaller, less effective version of his model 18. They'd killed his partner, they had thrown away any chance of mercy they had. Not waiting to check his aim, he tossed it into the woods behind him, raising a hand and forming the seal that would set it off. A small smile tweaked his lips in the resulting explosion and he sank to the ground, satisfaction washing away some of the shock. After a while he tugged Tobi onto his lap, gazing down at that innocent face. The moron. The stupid, stupid imbecile. Suddenly he frowned, leaning forward and examining the boy's face intently. He could have sworn he'd... Reaching down carefully, he placed two fingers against the top of Tobi's neck, not daring to hope. His frown evaporated as he felt a weak, but definitely still present pulse beat against them, the dull throb seeming like the after shocks of a glorious explosion. He was alive!

Cursing when he realised he was just sitting here like a fat lump while his partner was bled to death, he burst into action, thinking over what little first aid he knew. Rolling up his right sleeve, he placed him palm against the wound and started to apply pressure, oblivious of the blood that dribbled through his fingers. With his other hand he reached for his pack and hurriedly pulled out a set of bandages, setting them down nearby. _Gotta stop the bleeding… Shit, why is there so much? _Releasing his pressure momentarily he tugged off first Tobi's Akatsuki's coat, then slit away what remained of the boy's shirt with a kunai and placed them to the side, out of the way. Turning back to the boy he paused, staring down in surprise at the exposed chest.

It was crisscrossed with scars, the white marks all that remained from some long lost battle. Resisting the urge to trace a finger over one of those scars, curiosity peaked, he grabbed the bandages and started to wrap them firmly around the boy's chest, ignoring the faint skitter his heart made when he saw the wound. Lifting Tobi's back up briefly so he could get the bandage fully around, he muttered his frustration, hoping that this would be enough to keep him alive until they came found the next village. Finally done, he tied off the bandage and sat on his heel, considering the situation. A wry smile leapt unwarranted to his lips. Tobi was alive. They'd managed to escape from the ambush.

It was all going to be alright.

Sunlight beat down on his eyelids, slowly dragging him out of the darkness that he'd been sheltering in as the night passed. In a way he was glad, for he had been alone, and Tobi, of all people, hated being alone. He mumbled complaints, nevertheless, not wanting to wake up, not with his limbs feeling like lead and his head as if someone had stuffed it full of moth balls. Just a couple more minutes, he told himself, shuffling onto his side and feeling his cheek press into a soft fabric. He froze as pain erupted from a single point in his chest, rising from the dull ache it had been into a full pitched roar. His eyes flew open as he gasped in pain, the sound dwindling away as he examined his unfamiliar surroundings.

He was in a strange white room, his bed, one of two that were placed side by side on the wall. The window opened out opposite him, providing him a clear view of a calm, undisturbed beach. He carefully dragged himself into a sitting position, wincing as his chest hurt again, gazing around him in bewilderment. Where was he? What had happened? He looked down at his chest, at the tight linen bandage just visible beneath the blanket. A memory flicked into his mind, soon followed by a flood more as what happened before he'd blacked out returned. The ambush, of crashing into the woods, fighting back an army, watching as one of them managed to slip through and raised his sword to stab the only person that mattered to him, of darting in front of him and… Oh. He looked down, understanding dawning. But how had he gotten here? He shivered as a passing breeze tickled his shoulders and frowned. His shirt was gone, his chest was bare, scars showing clearly for the entire world to see. He pulled up his blanket instinctively, wondering where on earth his clothes, as well as his mask, had gone. What was going on?

"Finally decided to wake up, I see." Deidara's voice drawled from the opposite side of the room. Tobi looked up, grinning when he saw his partner leaning in the door way.

"Deidara Sempai!" He called, subconsciously drawing the blankets closer to himself. For a second he felt a flash of worry at the thought that Deidara could see his face, but he pushed it firmly away, telling himself that he would've had to show it to him at some point anyway. "Come in! What happened? I don't remember much, except-"

"You threw yourself in front of a blow that was meant for me, un." Deidara stated flatly, accepting the invitation and straying closer to the bed. He didn't seem to care about Tobi's appearance, the boy noted to his intense relief. "Risked your life for mine. Why?"

Tobi just grinned back, ignoring Deidara's tone (he didn't mean it really) as he shuffled his legs aside and patted the bed to show he wanted Deidara to sit down. "Because I care." He said, knowing full well that that wasn't the answer his partner was looking for. "…I don't suppose you know where my clothes have gone, do you? I'm just feeling a lit-"

"But why did you care, un?" Deidara interrupted again, staying where he was. "Why do you care at all?" The customary scowl was crawling back onto his face, and he'd crossed his arms in annoyance. Tobi let his eyes wander around the room as he searched for a reply, trying to find away to explain it.

"Because you are my partner. Partners look out for each other." He replied slowly, watching Deidara's face for a reaction. "You are also my friend."

Silence reigned across the room. Deidara's expression changed from anger to bewilderment, to understanding, and then softened into an expression Tobi had never seen him wear before. Care. _It becomes you_, a voice in his head whispered. Stepping closer, Deidara sat himself on the bed, kicking his feet idly against the floor. Tobi beamed up at him, happy that he'd come closer, before repeating his earlier question.

"I don't suppose you know what has happened to my clothes, do you? My mask?"

Deidara looked up, an amused smile tweaking up the corners of his lips. "Gone, all except for your coat. The nurses here at the hospital threw them away. Something about them being unhygienic, or something, un." He grinned broadly, apparently reliving some amusing memory. "I was only able to save your coat because I said it was a gift from your great uncle, with a lot of sentimental value."

Tobi smiled back, although he felt the first slithers of worry crawl under his skin.

"Even my mask?"

"'Fraid so, un. It was battered to bits in the first place."

Tobi was quiet after that, sitting with his head bowed, an arm idly hugging his chest, thinking about what he was going to do. He'd had his mask for years now, it was a part of him and he felt naked without it. A touch on his cheek made him look up, startled. Deidara was watching him with an odd expression on his face, hand retreating back to his side now that he had caught Tobi's eye. "You don't need to wear a mask, un." He said softly, blue eye locked with Tobi's hazel. Tobi stared back at him, surprised. He'd never seen this side of Deidara before, although he'd suspected it'd existed. "There's no shame in showing who you are."

Tobi dragged his eyes away. No matter what he said, Tobi was still worried. "Do you hate me?"

That startled a laugh out of him. He stopped almost immediately, shaking his head. "Hate, un? Why would I?"

"The others did."

"Then they were stupid, un. I'm not. Shit happens. It's a fact of life." He paused for a second, watching him carefully, Tobi still refusing to meet his eyes. After a second he sighed, considering him with a curious eye. "Does it really mean that much to you?" When Tobi didn't reply, he smiled wryly, shrugging his shoulders half heartedly. "Alright then, un."

They spent the next couple of minutes in silent contemplation, Deidara speaking up only to fill him in on the trip to the hospital, and what the doctors said about his condition. Tobi nodded and smiled at the correct intervals, content to just listen to his partner talk as he watched a seagull float effortlessly above the waves. When those minutes were up Deidara pulled himself to his feet, briskly brushing the wrinkles from his coat. "I'll be back in a few minutes, un." He informed him, giving him a quick smile as he headed towards the door. "Gotta go get something."

Tobi nodded and watched him go, sinking back in his pillows as the door swished closed. It wasn't long before his eyes closed and he dropped back to sleep.

When his eyes opened once more, the sun had set, and curtains covered the window opposite. Tiredness clawed at his eyes and he carefully turned onto his side, intending to go back to sleep, but froze as something hit the floor with a soft clang. Curious to what it was, he pushed himself into a sitting position and leaned over the edge of the bed, wincing as the skin on his chest stretched, pulling on the stitches that held his wound together. Groping fingers closing over something cool, he tightened his grip and tugged it towards him, eyes sparking with interest. When he found out what it was, he broke into a huge smile, hugging the object to his chest. In his hands lay his mask, the broken edges and chips carefully filled in with glazed clay and repainted so the orange swirl twirled uninterrupted to the small eye hole in the center left. A still warm package of slightly burnt cupcakes lay in the center of its underside, kept with it by the fixed straps that would keep the mask to his head. In the darkness he could just make out the words 'Get well soon, nitwit' written on a small piece of paper glued to the outside of the bag. Silently thanking his Sempai, he traced a finger around the worn mask's edges before he placed his fixed mask and sealed cakes carefully on the floor beneath his bed to wait until morning. A huge smile glued itself to his features as he leaned back on the pillows, soon falling asleep once more.

The End.


	3. Deleted Scenes :x

As promised, the deleted scenes. Posted because I liked a couple of them, and the last one was so darn long I wanted get something at least out of it. XD

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("If we are slap bang in the middle of a bloody ocean when a storm blows up, where are we going to land? My clay doesn't work in the rain, un. And while in the air we make a larger target for lightning. So if you don't want to end up half drowned with your hair standing on end by the time we reach dry land, I suggest we take a lift. It doesn't hurt to use your brain sometimes, un.")

**A little explanation that just didn't fit. XD**

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The rest of the trip was filled with the sailors whizzing back in forth in a wild frenzy, preparing the ship to dock as the captain steered the ship into the welcoming bay. Deidara kept himself out of the way, calmly scanning the port they were pulling into and keeping half an eye on Tobi. The sun had almost completed its daily circuit, dipping low over the low built buildings as the day drew itself to a halt. They would have to find somewhere to stay the night, it was no use trying to get a head start and ending up hopelessly lost because you couldn't see a foot in front of you. The full moon had long passed, the thin sliver that remained approaching the new moon. There was barely enough light to show you the hand before you face, let alone the hidden root ready to sprain your ankle. An injury on this mission would be detrimental, as speed was of the essence. Dart in, dart out. Don't get yourself killed. Simple as that.

He chose a cheap enough hotel on the towns outskirts, knowing full well that if he chose more comfortable accommodations the rant that would ensue the instant he got home would be long and painful, in more ways then one. It was better just to humor the Akatsuki's money obsessed banker and settle for second best. Kicking the door open he dumped his stuff inside, slumping onto the closest bed with relief. Boat trips drained him both mentally and physically, and not for the first time he wished he had not accepted this mission. But when you haven't exactly been successful in collecting the rewards for your last couple of assignments, it was hard to argue with a steadily more impatient leader on what tasks they were given. At least he wasn't stuck trekking through sand country again, hiding in a small, gritty cave he'd fashioned for himself out of clay. The current Kazekage still hadn't quite forgiven him for what happened the last time he strayed there, and he preferred to sleep in a lovely warm bed instead of hunkering down with sand wriggling its way through his clothes. He sat up a little and allowed his eyes to stray across the room, dimly noting how Tobi knelt before a small refrigerator that had come with the room. He watched as the Masked nin dug a few items out of his backpack, placing them inside before turning towards him.

"Deidara Sempai? You still want to learn how to cook?"

Deidara forced himself up onto his elbows, tired eyes sparking with interest. "Yeah, un." Tobi smiled in his normal beaming way at the reply, levering himself to his feet.

"I'm going to out for a little while to pick up some more ingredients, if that's alright." He informed him, brushing off his coat's knees and heading towards the door. "When I get back we can start your cooking lessons. I think I'll start you out on baking cupcakes, since they're one of the easiest things to make and it'll help you master the basics. If we take it slow and work steadily towards the top, I'm sure we'll make a master chef out of you in no time!"

Deidara's eyebrow twitched slightly at the name 'cupcakes,' he wanted to cook a proper meal, not a treat for some pansy, but Tobi was already out the door, humming as he made his way to the nearest shops. Sighing in slight annoyance, Deidara settled himself down to wait, exhaustion dragging his eyelids closed.

**I liked it, but it just wasn't needed. :(**

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Reaching a hand into his clay as his hand mouth ate some of it greedily and began to mould it into a collection of his infamous bird bombs. If they were going to be stupid enough to all stand in one place with his abilities, they deserved their fate. His mind flicked briefly to the cloaked man, recognising him as the target they'd been set to eliminate. Only now did he realise why the leader had wanted them to kill an exiled ninja, an action he normally frowned upon. Deidara laughed aloud in his surprise, glancing back at the man while dodging yet another wave of arrows. He was impersonating the Akatsuki. His cloak wasn't a complete match, the clouds were the wrong shape and dotted all over the fabric, but the overall image was unmistakable. Red clouds on a black sky. Idiot. He glanced back over his shoulder to see Tobi stood firmly behind him, the blue glow of his chakra keeping his feet in place. If there was one thing the leader hated, it was impersonated. This guy was getting it easy compared what had happened to the last one. The other had had Itachi after them, with the strict orders to use his mangekou sharingan to make him endure hell on earth before killing him. Tobi, seeing his gaze, took a step forward and shouted a question to him over the wind.

"What should we do?"

Deidara glanced down again, noting how the men below had spread out over a larger area. Shame. From the look of things, they were clustered around the leader, a living barrier between them and their target. They would need to get through them first. If he let Tobi down at the edge of the clearing and bombed at the same time, he could act as a distraction as Tobi snuck in from behind. Looking back at Tobi once more, he replied simply. "We finish our mission, un. Kill anybody that gets in the way of our target." Tobi nodded, ducking as arrows streaked over head. "I'll be passing that area there in a few moments." He pointed, opening his hand and tossing his creations into the air. "Jump in the trees there and approach from the ground. Don't draw attention to yourself and get as close to the leader as possible. Kill him if you get the chance. We might as well complete our mission now." Tobi nodded briskly, hurriedly tuning his cloak inside out and replacing it over his shoulders. At Deidara's signal he leapt to the trees, his descent hidden by the multiple explosions that peppered the forest. Deidara turned his bird back to the center of the battle and shoved both of his hands into the clay bags he had at either side. Seeing the art his explosions had left behind, he smiled.

This was going to be fun.

Perspective Switch.

Leaves whipped at Tobi's arms and legs as he slipped to the ground, but he ignored them, determined not to be distracted as he looked up and watched Deidara swoop back to the fight. For a second he felt worry for his partners safety twinge in his chest, but he pushed it away, telling himself that this was not the time. Deidara would be fine, he'd survived far worse than this before the orange loving ninja came. Even if he was a pathetic cook. Smiling broadly at the thought, Tobi bounded forward, careful to make the least amount of sound as possible. Deidara-sempai had set him a mission, trusted him with it. He would _not_ betray his trust by ruining the cover Deidara had wasted his precious clay on to achieve. Steadily nearing the battle site, he slowed his pace, slipping into the surrounding bushes and continuing that way. The ground shivered as another chorus of booms shook the forest, sending leaves scattering from the trees. Tobi grinned again, imagining the huge satisfied smile on his Sempai's face. He loved to show off his art.

The sound of men shouting burst through the forest from up ahead, making Tobi freeze and duck under the cover of an oak. Three men were running blindly through the forest, peppered with small scratches that Tobi assumed came from his partners explosions. One of them was limping badly, a large gash on his thigh sending blood streaming to the ground. He winced visibly with every step, barely able to keep up with his comrades.

"I don't know what he fucking expected, the git." The largest one muttered, slowing down to help his injured comrade match their pace. "We're not about to stay and let that maniac up there blow us all to bloody pieces for a couple of late night drinks. He must be out of 'is fucking head to mess with _that_ lot. Yeah. Out of his fucking mind."

The remaining man glared at him, motioning at him frantically to shut up while he eyed the woods surrounding them. Tobi kept as quiet and still as possible, wanting to avoid unneeded violence. Once they were gone he could move ahead again, and help Deidara. Time ticked slowly by and Tobi began to get a bit impatient. They were taking so long, and Deidara needed Tobi _now! _

Perspective Change

Deidara swooped high above, cackling as he set forth another flurry of birds down on the panicking men below. What had started out as an eagerly awaited ambush now turned in a scene of complete and utter mayhem, most of the hired thugs fleeing from the unbeatable opponent in the sky. It was beautiful, the bloody craters that broke the ground, their centers steaming slightly as a scarlet rain pattered the earth surrounding it. A blissful smile curved up the sides of his mouth as his latest explosion rocked the world, sending a bloom of fire and dust into the sky. As it cleared he looked for the target, raising an eyebrow when he found him. The man was standing in the center of a group of still scruffy but more professional looking men, each of them crouched in a ready position that was all too familiar. Well, well, he thought, sliding his hands back into the bags. This should be interesting.

His next birds were aimed directly at the leader himself, their arched necks proudly bent as they bore down on their target. They were blown off course by a well timed stream of water that burst from a near by pond. He frowned in disappointment as his creations were thrown to the ground, soaked and useless. His frown turned into a scowl as he fixed his eyes once more on the target, anger boiling when he saw the smug smile on the fat man's lips. Thought he had the advantage, did he? Deidara grinned savagely, hand mouths working the clay once more. He had barely even started. While waiting for his hands to finish, he scanned the battle scene, smile fading as he noticed the distinct lack of Tobi. Where was the fool? He hadn't dropped him that far away, he should be here by now. Feeling his hands finish, he grinned once more, pulling his hands out of the bags. Tobi would have to wait; he had more important things to attend to.

He'd give that smug son of a bitch something to smile about.

Perspective Change

Stand up, weapons in hand. One kunai to the back of the head, another through a wide, shock filled eye. Dart forward, retrieve kunai, dodge wild blow, incapacitate, slit throat. Tobi stood, panting slightly, in the center of the small clearing, quickly releasing the body of one of the men that had held him up so long as blood spurted from his neck and onto his clothes. Gently rolling over a body with his foot, he retrieved his second kunai from where it had been thrown, pausing for a second to wipe it and the other free of blood before hurrying towards the still raging battle.

He had been held up for quite a while, and he dreaded the disdainful look he was going to receive from Deidara when he finally arrived. He didn't _want_ to be late, but the truth was, Tobi was not a fan of needless killing. He could survive it if he had no choice, like if he or Deidara was in danger, it was in the way of completing a mission or if it was the mission, but nevertheless he preferred to avoid it. It was just so… messy, in more ways than one. He shook his head in an attempt to get his mind back on course, back to the battle he was about to fight. Although the fighters were weak, there were many of them, and under the current circumstances he could be easily over-whelmed. The best thing was to use the confusion to his advantage, slip through when no one was looking his way. Seeing a break in the trees ahead, he sped up his pace, eager to rejoin Deidara. The Iwagakure exiled nin was the closest thing he had to a friend, and he wasn't about to let him go so easily.

Perspective Change

The forenamed ninja grinned as he released his two latest creations, two slightly dragon like birds with double wings and whip-like tails. They were one of the fastest of his models, and it would take a lot more than a bit of water to stop them from reaching their targets. He allowed his bird to swoop down a little lower, focussing his camera on the group to see which of them originated from the village of mist. To his surprise it was the impostor himself, quickly forming a series of seals to release twin jets of water from the pond nearby and sending them tearing towards the steadily approaching bird. Deidara's grin widened at his look of dismay as the birds avoided the water with ease, swooping in for the kill-

He blinked. A large water shield, its surface glinting in the sunlight, had suddenly risen around the entire group, the source of it being three of the ninjas from the circle. His birds battered harmlessly against it, their explosions making barely a dent in the shields surface. He cursed, wheeling higher. A movement from the pond caught his eye. The pond's surface was rippling, shaking as if something was moving underneath it. He locked it with an inquisitive frown, curious. He'd seen water do that before, but where…? He guessed what it was too late as a large plume of water in the form of a water dragon burst into the air, opening its gaping jaws and hurting after him. He gritted his teeth in annoyance as he spun his bird out of the way with ease. This guy was a pain in the neck, for sure. Stupid, fat bastard. He was going to have to up his game. Spotting a flash of orange and black to the left of the field, he rolled his eyes, turning his bird in a circle towards it. 'Took Tobi long enough to get here. Waiting until the masked ninja looked up, he began to sign him instructions, keeping an eye on the target's movements all the while as another dragon rushed towards him. All he needed was to get him away from his followers…

Change of Perspective.

Tobi stumbled to a walk as he exited the tree cover, eyes automatically rising to search the sky for his Sempai. He paused as he received his new instruction, flashing the cream-and-black spec a grin and a salute before melding back into the trees. He was to help separate the target from his followers, so that they could kill them without reducing the target to bloody, un-bounty-tradable pieces. He hopped into a tree and took a look at the situation.

**It took me bloody forever, and then I realised that I'd screwed the situation up. It was supposed to be a quick ambush, that caught them by surprise, but in this one they had time to recover. It didn't work with the story so I had to cut it. Didn't like it that much either. :( I hate fight scenes...**


End file.
